EDITORIAL: Memorable

Memorial Day weekend is fun, there’s no two ways about it. It always feels like the kickoff to a much-deserved, long-awaited summer season of sun, fun, relaxing, and time spent doing something other than what we usually have to do.

In Weston, it’s a special time when the community does not tend to pick up and leave town. Most Westonites gather together on the streets at events like the 5K run, the four-day fair, and the parade, not to mention countless backyard barbecues, parties, and get-togethers.

But there’s one event that really should not be missed this weekend. After the parade, at about noon, take a few minutes and make your way to the gazebo outside town hall. There, a small group of veterans, town officials, clergy, family members, and friends will meet to pay their respects to those who are the real reason we all gather together on Memorial Day weekend — those who lost their lives in service to our country.

They are the reason we are able to enjoy an exciting ride and a hot dog at the firehouse; they are the reason we march in a peaceful parade down a beautiful main street; they are the reason we enjoy the fruits of our labors in the safety and comfort of our homes and neighborhoods; they are the reason we must pause and give thanks and remember.

Memorial Day is indeed a time to celebrate, but celebrations are more special when the meaning behind them is not lost. Do not celebrate just for the fun of it (but do have fun, of course). Honor the dead who laid down their lives so that ours might be better by living better lives, by being safe and sober and kind and patient and generous.

Help the children to learn the horrors some had to endure so that those horrors won’t resurface ever again. Help them to appreciate the wonders not only of the Gravity Drop and fried dough but also of the simple act of being a part of a community and spending time with family and friends.